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CITY

Santa Rosa

California · 179,437 residents (2025 est.) · 42.5 sq mi
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Part of the Santa Rosa metro area
The short version

With 177,090 people, Santa Rosa is a city in California. Home values have roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $713,900. That puts it in the top 8% of US cities for household income. There are 4,163 people per square mile. Median rent is $2,152 a month. 57% of homes are owner-occupied.

At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $99,060, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 41.2
US median: 38.9
Average education
35% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 66%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Santa Rosa

What changed most since 1990

  • White share84.7% → 48.7% (−36.0 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
  • Hispanic share9.3% → 37.4% (+28.1 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
  • Adults with a bachelor's degree26.9% → 35.1% (+8.2 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts

Among the 37 cities and towns in the Santa Rosa metro

  • 21st in household income$99,060
  • 25th in share with a bachelor's degree35.1%
  • 26th in home value$713,900
  • 5th in diversity score76.9

Its weight in Sonoma County

Santa Rosa's population equals 37% of Sonoma County's. Its number of people who work from home equals 27% of the county's.

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
177,090
+20%since 2000
from 147,595 in 2000
179,437 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
4,163 / sq mi
+20%since 2000
from 3,470 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
41.2
+14%since 2000
from 36.2 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
42.5 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
107K127K147K167K188K19902000201020202024Santa Rosa
2024177K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.8%(8,464)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.1%(8,962)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.4%(11,319)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.2%(10,928)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.6%(9,958)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.5%(23,857)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4414.1%(24,951)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5413.3%(23,532)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.1%(21,469)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7411.2%(19,801)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.3%(9,418)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.5%(4,431)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$99,060
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $50,931 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$52,066
+113%since 2000
from $24,495 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
62.2%
+23.4 ptssince 2009
from 38.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
9.7%
+1.2 ptssince 2000
from 8.5% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.452
+4%since 2010
from 0.435 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade10.9%
US avg: 9.9%
Information10.9%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade8.6%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services4.5%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance3.8%
US avg: 5.9%
Public administration3%
US avg: 4.8%
Professional, scientific, technical2.8%
US avg: 5.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.7%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction2.6%
US avg: 1.2%
Transportation & warehousing2%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.7%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$713,900
+66%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $236,000 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$2,152
+37%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $862 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
56.7%
−1.8 ptssince 2000
from 58.5% in 2000
43.3% rent
Vacancy rate
4.3%
−2.1 ptssince 2009
from 6.3% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.53 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.53 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
31.6%
−10.6 ptssince 2009
from 42.2% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
52.8%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 53.5% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
7.2
−16%since 2009
from 8.6 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
55
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic70.9%(104,581)
Black2%(3,023)
Hispanic / Latino19.2%(28,318)
Asian3.8%(5,542)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic48.7%(86,260)
Black1.9%(3,312)
Hispanic / Latino37.4%(66,211)
Asian6.3%(11,103)
Other5.8%(10,204)
Diversity Score
77
+15%since 2009
from 67 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican31.4%(55,583)
Central American2.7%(4,742)
Salvadoran1.7%(2,966)
Spaniard0.6%(1,134)
Puerto Rican0.6%(1,049)
Guatemalan0.3%(614)
Nicaraguan0.2%(415)
Panamanian0.2%(357)
Honduran0.2%(307)
Colombian0.2%(266)
Peruvian0.1%(179)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Cuban0.1%(151)
Chilean0.1%(143)
Ecuadorian0.1%(131)
Argentine0%(68)
Asian origin
Filipino1.2%(2,038)
Vietnamese1.1%(1,950)
Asian Indian1%(1,848)
Chinese1%(1,703)
Nepalese0.4%(730)
Korean0.4%(671)
Cambodian0.3%(477)
Japanese0.3%(446)
Laotian0.2%(342)
Thai0.1%(211)
Taiwanese0.1%(204)
Indonesian0.1%(135)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Burmese0%(77)
Hmong0%(59)
Pakistani0%(58)
Kazakh0%(10)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.2%(403)
Fijian0.2%(278)
Chamorro0.1%(196)
Guamanian0%(32)
Tongan0%(3)
Ancestry
German10.5%(18,663)
English10.5%(18,642)
Irish9.9%(17,499)
Italian6.1%(10,859)
French2.5%(4,359)
American2.4%(4,278)
Scottish2%(3,630)
Swedish1.6%(2,802)
Polish1.4%(2,476)
Norwegian1.3%(2,312)
Portuguese1.2%(2,093)
Scotch-Irish1%(1,691)
+ 44 more ancestry groups with data
Russian1%(1,684)
Dutch0.9%(1,662)
Danish0.8%(1,407)
Welsh0.6%(1,071)
British0.6%(1,066)
Swiss0.4%(788)
Arab0.4%(710)
Austrian0.4%(643)
Greek0.3%(599)
Hungarian0.3%(598)
Finnish0.3%(514)
Canadian0.3%(474)
Ukrainian0.2%(438)
West Indian0.2%(332)
Jordanian0.2%(284)
Czech0.2%(284)
Armenian0.1%(260)
Romanian0.1%(240)
Slovak0.1%(226)
Jamaican0.1%(220)
Kenyan0.1%(198)
Ethiopian0.1%(176)
Iranian0.1%(171)
Croatian0.1%(165)
Lebanese0.1%(151)
Palestinian0.1%(144)
Lithuanian0.1%(128)
Belgian0.1%(108)
Brazilian0.1%(96)
Bulgarian0.1%(96)
Serbian0.1%(92)
Egyptian0%(82)
Haitian0%(78)
Latvian0%(75)
Nigerian0%(35)
Guyanese0%(26)
Israeli0%(24)
Slovene0%(20)
Turkish0%(11)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
35.1%
+7.5 ptssince 2000
from 27.6% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
85.4%
+1.1 ptssince 2000
from 84.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
13.6%
+4.4 ptssince 2000
from 9.1% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.9 min
+42%since 2000
from 16.1 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
71.4%
−3.4 ptssince 2009
from 74.8% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
11.4%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 11.3% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.3%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 2.6% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
11.5%
+5.8 ptssince 2009
from 5.8% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.4%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 3.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.7%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 1.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
6.2%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 6.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
6.3%
−3.8 ptssince 2011
from 10.1% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
66.4%
−0.1 ptssince 2011
from 66.5% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
78.7%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 76.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
14.4%
+1.4 ptssince 2009
from 13.0% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
41.3%
+8.5 ptssince 2009
from 32.8% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.8%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 49.3% in 2009
Female
51.2%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 50.7% in 2009
Foreign born
21.2%
+1.7 ptssince 2009
from 19.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
4.2%
−4.7 ptssince 2009
from 8.9% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
13.3%
+2.0 ptssince 2012
from 11.3% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
6.2%
−10.1 ptssince 2013
from 16.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
94.3%
+9.5 ptssince 2017
from 84.8% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
97.1%
+2.3 ptssince 2020
from 94.8% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
87.6%
+3.0 ptssince 2020
from 84.7% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
65.0%
−3.7 ptssince 2016
from 68.7% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
27.4%
+3.7 ptssince 2016
from 23.7% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married38.9%(28,125)
Married49.7%(35,890)
Widowed2.3%(1,671)
Divorced9%(6,536)
Women 15+
Never married31.9%(24,306)
Married45.7%(34,780)
Widowed8.8%(6,682)
Divorced13.6%(10,355)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
6.2%
−10.1 ptssince 2013
from 16.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
55.8%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 55.5% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
13.3%
−1.8 ptssince 2020
from 15.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
20.0%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 18.8% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
23.9%
+3.2 ptssince 2020
from 20.7% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 1.6% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
67.0%
−1.9 ptssince 2020
from 68.9% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
40.1%
+3.6 ptssince 2020
from 36.5% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)22.9%(1,373)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)16.3%(975)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era40%(2,397)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.2%(311)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.2%(72)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 5,998 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Santa Rosa, decade by decade

Santa Rosa population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990113,313$84,571$462,73326.9%34.1
2000147,595$92,779$429,91127.6%57.2
2010167,815$85,345$674,11429.2%69.7
2020178,127$97,535$692,80133.8%77.2
2024177,090$99,060$713,90035.1%76.9

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

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SANTA ROSA VS
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SANTA ROSA VS
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Santa Rosa, California?

Santa Rosa, California has about 177,090 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Santa Rosa, California?

The typical household in Santa Rosa, California earns about $99,060 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Santa Rosa, California expensive?

In Santa Rosa, California, the median home is worth about $713,900, and the typical rent is about $2,152 a month.

How educated are people in Santa Rosa, California?

About 35.1% of adults age 25 and over in Santa Rosa, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Santa Rosa, California?

About 9.7% of people in Santa Rosa, California live below the federal poverty line.

Has Santa Rosa, California grown since 1990?

Yes, Santa Rosa, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 63,777 residents, a change of about 56 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →